ASSESSMENTS

Politically Adrift in Australia

Jul 13, 2016 | 09:15 GMT

Politically Adrift in Australia
Australian Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull narrowly won a July 2 election, but he will face even greater political gridlock going forward than he did over his past year in office.

(PETER PARKS/AFP/Getty Images)

Summary

Australia's political landscape is fracturing, leaving the country with another weak government. Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull's ruling coalition eked out a victory in the country's July 2 federal elections, but it will be even less capable of implementing its agenda going forward than it was over the past year. Amid a surge of protectionist and anti-establishment sentiment, Australians voted against the country's two major parties in record numbers, much to the benefit of small parties and independent candidates who will hold outsize power in the Senate. In a country already struggling to find political stability, parliamentary gridlock and policymaking paralysis are likely to continue for at least the rest of the year.

Australia's political landscape is fracturing, leaving the country with another weak government. Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull's ruling coalition eked out a narrow victory in the country's July 2 general elections, but it will be even less capable of implementing its agenda going forward than it was over the past year. Amid a surge of protectionist and anti-establishment sentiment, Australians voted against the country's two major parties in record numbers, much to the benefit of small parties and independent candidates who will hold outsized power in the Senate. In a country already struggling to find political stability, parliamentary gridlock and policymaking paralysis are likely to continue for at least the rest of the year....

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